WHY I THINK CUPID CHILDS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

WHY I THINK CUPID CHILDS SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN

By- Damien 

Cupid Childs was one of the greatest all around second basemen who ever lived. Very few people nowadays have heard of him, and he is probably best known for his nickname, given him because he supposedly looked like a cherub (an angel of the second choir). A fine offensive second baseman, Childs batted .306 for his career with a .416 on base percentage and over a hundred triples. An ideal leadoff man, Childs had four seasons over .330 and scored 1,214 runs in only 1,457 games. Childs was also no slouch in the field, as he made more plays than the average second baseman of his era and thus put up robust career totals in every defensive statistic. Cupid Childs first made the Big Leagues in 1888 with the Philadelphia Quakers, but played in only two games before he saw his next Major League action in 1890. That season, he played for the Syracuse Nationals in the American Association, batted .345, and led the AA in doubles. He was traded to the Cleveland Spiders in 1891 and he starred, playing eight years with the club and enjoying the prime of his career. In 1892, he led the NL in both runs scored and OBP and helped the Spiders to the postseason, where he batted .409/.519/.591 in a losing cause. The Spiders would later win the Temple Cup in 1895. In 1896, Childs reached the 100 walk/100 run/100 RBI pinnacle for the only time in his career, and further joined an exclusive club with 100 RBI’s in a season with less than ten home runs (he had one). Childs batted .288 in 1898 and was moved over to the St. Louis Perfectos by a group that owned both clubs. The move, and several other unwise transactions, spelled disaster for the Spiders, as they fell from 81-68-7 (fifth place in the NL) to 20-134 (12th, and the worst record in MLB history). At any rate, Childs had one decent season in St. Louis (despite contracting malaria, which derailed the rest of his career) and two mediocre ones with the Cubs before he called it quits. Cupid Childs was a fine hitter, a good run producer, a practitioner of angelic patience, and a strong fielder. He has a solid case for the Hall of Fame. 

LIFETIME STATISTICS 

Games career: 1,457 season high: 145 in 1892 led NL: 141 in 1891 

At Bats career: 5,622 season high: 558 in 1892 

Hits career: 1,721 season high: 177 in 1892 and 1896 

Doubles career: 205 season high: 33 in 1890 led AA: 33 in 1890 

Triples career: 101 season high: 14 in 1890 

Home Runs career: 20 season high: 4 in 1895 

Runs career: 1,214 season high: 145 in 1893 led NL: 136 in 1892 

Runs Batted In career: 743 season high: 106 in 1896 

Stolen Bases career: 269 season high: 56 in 1890 

Walks career: 991 season high: 120 in 1893 

Strikeouts career: 228 season high: 32 in 1891 (Childs’s strikeout information from 1890 is unavailable) 

Batting Average career: .306 season high: .355 in 1896 

On Base Percentage career: .416 season high: .475 in 1894 led NL: .443 in 1892 

Slugging Percentage career: .389 season high: .481 in 1890 

Total Bases career: 2,188 season high: 237 in 1890 

Sacrifice Hits career: 90 season high: 20 in 1900 (Childs’s sacrifice hit information from before 1894 is unavailable) 

Fielding Percentage career: .930 season high: .944 in 1897 

Double Plays career: 602 season high: 73 in 1896 led NL 2B: 73 in 1896 

Putouts career: 3,868 season high: 375 in 1890 and 1896 led NL 2B: 375 in 1896, 323 in 1900 

Assists career: 4,681 season high: 487 in 1896 led NL 2B: 487 in 1896, 431 in 1900 

DID YOU KNOW? 

-led the AA in extra-base hits in 1890 (49) 

-led the NL in times on base in 1892 (303) 

-led NL second basemen in games in 1891, 1896, and 1900 

-led the NL in assists in 1896 

-hit two home runs off of Silver King and one off of Tim Keefe 

-his 18 total chances at second base on June 1, 1890 tied the single game record 

-is the Cleveland Spiders’ all time leader in career walks (758) 

-ranks 27th in career on base percentage 

-among MLB second baseman, ranks 44th in career games, 23rd in putouts, and 34th in assists 

-also played one game at shortstop in 1890